


What's Worse?

by shyness123



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-01-22
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-05-15 11:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5783509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shyness123/pseuds/shyness123
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“No. If you want to think that, then go ahead. But, no matter how much you blame us, it won’t bring your brother Izana back!” As soon as that spilt out of his mouth, Ace knew he messed up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So there’s not a lot of Final Fantasy Type-0 stories, so I decided to write one. This takes place during the 4th chapter in the game when they were left behind after the whole ceasefire thing (I’ve only played up to chapter 5 so some things may be inaccurate). The beginning part takes place in the actual game, dialog included.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing

**What’s Worse?**

 

“No. If you want to think that, then go ahead. But, no matter how much you blame us, it won’t bring your brother Izana back!” As soon as that spilt out of his mouth, Ace knew he messed up. Tempers were high with Machina accusing them of killing his brother. The blond was getting angrier the more he went on yelling at his siblings until he couldn’t stand by anymore. It should have been his job to defuse the situation since he was practically the designated “leader” of Class Zero, but he let his emotions get the best of him.

 

Machina looked straight into his eyes, pure hate burning in them, “What?” his voice got louder as he went on, “How do YOU know my brother’s name?” He stepped closer, hand shaking in front of him.

 

Ace flinched back slightly and looked down, not knowing how to respond. What was he supposed to say? He even surprised himself when the name came out. The cadet couldn’t remember ever knowing Izana, only that he asked for him to help on a mission (and he only knew that because of the conversation he overheard)… Realization of what he said dawned on him. So, somehow Machina found out that Izana had been asked to join Class Zero on the battlefield (which he felt slightly guilty for) and now blamed them for his death. Now, he also knows that Ace knew Izana so whoever he got the information from wasn’t lying.

 

“That’s quite enough!” Trey stepped in, seeing the murderous glare he was sending Ace’s way. “Machina, I know you are distressed, but we have larger issues at stake right now.” That’s the way he should have handled this, not with blind anger.

 

Rem also tried to turn the conversation back to something other than Machina’s deceased brother by asking, “Larger issues?”

 

From the far side, King answered her. “We can’t contact the dominion.” Deuce also adding that no matter the number of tries made to contact they just wouldn’t answer.

 

Ace vaguely heard Rem reply, but didn’t register her words. What should he say? Why was Machina acting like this in the first place? There’s a reason why the crystal erases their memories of the dead, making it easier to move on. Up until now, no one has really cared about the tragedies that happen on the battle field. No one gets a chance to mourn over the deaths of fallen comrades since they can’t remember knowing them. Nothing has changed, so why is Machina getting angry over his dead brother?

 

“Now do you understand? Not one of us has time to agonize over the past at this moment.” Queen’s voice brought him back from his inner mussing. Lifting his head and gazing at Machina, he watches as the teen turns away from him and facing the woodlands that surrounds their small refuge. He decides, once again, to contribute to the conversation now that his emotions are in check.

 

“Memories of the dead are the shackles of the past.” Maybe conveying his thoughts would calm Machina down. “We must forget in order to break free-” He inched closer to the angry teen, “to move forward.”

 

Machina whipped around after he said that, facing all of his comrades, absolute fury on his face. “Shut up! That’s the excuse you used to sacrifice my brother!” He looked dead into Ace’s eyes, making him look down again. Why can’t Machina understand that it’s a good thing that he can’t remember? Without being tied down, missions get done smoother.

 

Seven and Queen went over to stand next to him. “You’ve gotta calm down, Machina.” Seven said, taking his attention away from Ace. She stared him down for a few seconds before Queen spoke up.

 

“You’re like a spoiled child.” She looked away, as if disgusted by his mere presence. Suddenly, the black haired teen turned around, revealing how mad she actually was. “If you want to play the tragic hero, then stay here and put on a one-man show!” Ace had never heard Queen talk like that before, let alone act like that. She was the cool and collected one, nothing like she was acting now. The blond doesn’t blame her though, Machina’s accusations were making everyone confused and angry.

 

Ace watched as Machina snapped back at her, stepping away from him and closer to her. “What the hell do YOU know?” He pointed his finger right in her face, both sending glares, Queen’s being cold and Machina’s murderous.

 

Rem stepped up from behind her childhood friend, trying to persuade him away from Queen. “M-Machina, please stop it!” she pleaded, “Let’s get some rest and-” He cut her off, reaching up to swipe his hand through his hair and gritting his teeth.

“Dammit!” He turned around and started walking away, Rem calling out, asking him where he was going.

Ace stared after him, watching Machina walk away from them all. He looked down again as Rem went after her friend, stopping him before he enter the woods. The Agito cadet understood that Machina was upset and hurting (although he can’t really relate having never lost anyone close that he could remember), but was it really his fault? Izana could have said no to him, but instead agreed to come with him. He looked up and saw that Machina had disappeared, likely somewhere in the woods surrounding their temporary shelter. The blond frowned, his heart starting to hurt the longer he thought about Izana and if it was his fault that the man died.

In hopes of getting rid of the feeling, he talked to his siblings. Even after listening to Rem talk to Cinque and Jack about her asthma, Cater asking Trey about déjà vu, Deuce, Cinque and Eight talking about the communication problems, and Queen worrying about Machina, the aching in his heart had yet to recede. In fact, he thinks the pain has gotten worse the longer the transferred cadet was gone.

“Let’s go in and rest.” Deuce suggested. Ace looked up, seeing that the full moon was high in the sky, illuminating the clearing and surrounding trees.

Rem glanced between her fellow cadets and the surrounding wood, “But what about Machina?” clear worry in her tone.

“He’s probably already been caught by the Militesi.” Sice muttered bitterly.

Rem’s pupils dilated, panic flowing from every pore in her body. She went to go pick up her daggers as if to go arm herself and march out there to find him.

“Wait,” Seven said gripping Rem’s wrist, “I’m sure he’s fine. He’ll be back later.” She ended with a glare aimed at her fellow cadet. The female transfer student looked resilient to put her weapon down, not convinced that everything was alright. Seven sighed and let go of her, “Alright. If he isn’t back by sunrise we’ll go looking for him.”

“What?! You’ll end up getting us all killed!” Snarled the silver haired teen.

“I’ll go.” Everyone turned to face Ace who had a look of determination. “There’s no need to risk all of us. If he isn’t back by sunrise, I’ll go get him.” Rem’s look of relief didn’t surprise him at all as the two new cadets seemed really close. What did startle him, however, was when she ran over and threw her arms around his neck. Having no idea what to do, Ace awkwardly pat her back. The girl clang tighter to him. Her continuous whispers of thanks buried deep into his neck. When she finally pulled back, the blond could see her eyes were red.

“I’m sorry. It’s just,” the smaller student laughed despite herself, “he’s all I have left. I couldn’t imagine my life without him.” She whipped her eyes, putting on a bright smile. “Thank you for caring about him. I know he said some things that he shouldn’t have, so I apologize on his behalf.” Rem giggled again, “Lord knows he won’t even when he feels bad. Despite what he said, I know he cares about you all just as I do. He’s just sad…and hurt” Ace feels sad and hurt too if the squeezing on his heart had anything to say. He glanced around, noting that all his siblings were gone, likely to have filed into the cabin to get some much needed rest.

He started up the stairs, looking back at Rem when he didn’t hear her follow. “We should get some rest before tomorrow comes. We don’t know how long we’ll be her for.” The girl nodded her head and, after a quick glance to the trees, shuffled over to follow Ace into the house.

Ace slowly opened the old door, trying to keep the noise to a minimum to allow the occupants inside to have a peaceful sleep. The moonlight spilt into the small room, making everyone visible. Most had coupled off and huddled together for warmth. Queen and Nine were off in the corner, the coolheaded female had her head in his lap which her glasses next to her. Deuce and Cinque leaned on the wall next to them. Cinque’s head laid on Deuce’s shoulder with the brown haired girl’s on top of hers, they’re hands clasped between them. King, Sice, and Seven were stationed by the door. All laid on the floor, King being in the middle with the girls cuddling on both his sides. Jack sat with his back against the wall under the window. Eight was settled in his lap with his side pressed firmly against his chest and Jack’s arms wrapped around him. Trey and Cater lay in the middle of the wood floor, Cater playing the small to his big spoon. His arm thrown around her waist to hold her close.

Ace stepped into the room carefully, motioning to Rem to do the same. He walked over to the corner opposite of Queen and Nine’s and sat down. The blond tucked himself into the corner, bringing his knees up and resting his arms on them. Tucking his head down, he felt like he could breathe for the first time in a long time. They were away from all the other cadets and trainees that badmouthed them. Most were angry that they got in without taking the necessary exams and instead were brought in immediately after the liberation because of Mother. He felt his breath hitch. In all of the things that have happened he forgot about Mother. She was probably worried sick about them all and the last thing Ace wants to do is worry her. Then again, she knows that her children are capable of taking care of themselves and will always come back to her. With that thought in mind, he turned to his other problem.

Machina and Izana.

Thinking back to it, the only reason he knows of Izana was from the conversation he overheard between Mother and the Commandant. If he really did ask for the other boy to accompany him on the dangerous mission, it was his fault he died…right? How could he, the designated leader of the infamous Class Zero, allow the one person he want to come along die? And he can’t even remember the face of the man who laid his life down for him! The small cadet could feel tears start to prick his eyes. He really is what the Militesi calls them. A Red Demon.

“It’s my fault you know.” His voice came out as a hoarse whisper when he felt Rem settle down beside him. “I’m the one who caused Izana to die.” The transfer student laid her hand gently on his shoulder. “I asked for him to join the liberation. He wasn’t supposed to be there in the front lines. It’s all my fault.”

“Ace, there’s no way you could have known that would happen.”

“No!” He shook his head, the water in his eyes finally spilling over into frustrated tears. “If I hadn’t asked him Machina would still have his brother!” It was silent for a bit after that. Rem kept her hand where it was, squeezing it reassuringly. After what felt like hours, his tears stopped flowing, but his heart felt even heavier.

“He really admires you.” The blond looked over at her, surprised that she was still awake. “Despite what he said, he looks up to you and trusts you.”

He looked down again, a selfish thought entering his mind. He had to make sure no one else close to him ended up like Izana.

“Rem, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you and I both know that’s a lie.” Ace looked up at her, a soft smile playing on his lips. “I’m a monster. A demon. Someone who doesn’t care about anything, but the missions that we are assigned. You’ve heard from the other cadets, right? You and Machina should get out while you still can. Won’t want to end up dead and left behind.” He laughed despite himself. “Demons don’t care about the sacrifices made,” _Hate me. Hate us. Leave before your life is taken from you._ “Not even their own teammates.”

“Ace, you don’t mean that!”

He tilted his head slightly, looking her in the eyes as another chuckle was let out. “What I say is true Rem. Even if you and Machina are clinging to life. People who can’t fulfill the orders given are useless. You’ll be left behind to die.” _Leave. I’m trying to help you. Leave. It’s almost too late._

“Then why did you save us! I refuse to believe you don’t care!” She was clearly hurt, her whole body shaking.

“Orders to take down the l’cie. You just happened to be there.”

“Liar!”

“And for what reason would I be lying for?”

“What about you volunteering to go look for Machina!? Are you doing that based on “orders” too?!”

“I’m the leader of the team. Can’t let anyone else do it. It’s my job. ”

“Now you’re contradicting yourself! If you didn’t care then you would have let me go as soon as I went for my weapons.” Her voice dropped low. “Ace, stop trying to push me away.”

The Agito cadet clenched his teeth. Why can’t she understand that he’s saying all of this to protect her and Machina!?

“I’m not pushing you away! This is the true nature of Class Zero! Everything you hear in the hallways from all the other students, moogles, and even the teachers are true. We’re better than all of them. We don’t need them. Their only purpose is to serve as a shield until we show up. The same goes for you, Rem, and Machina.” Rem flinched back after his harsh words, hand falling to her side.

“You- you don’t mean that.” Choked sobs filled the empty air.

“You will never be one of us, Rem. You or Machina. You’ll never be more than dirty under our feet.” _That should do it._ With that, he stood and made his way over to Jack and Eight. Settling down next to the other blond, Ace laid his head on Jack’s shoulder. He felt the other shift slightly, most likely to see who it was before resting the side of his face on the top of Ace’s own head. Ace listened to the quiet sobs that sounded from the other side of the cabin, letting them lull him to sleep.

His heart hurt even worse.


	2. The Man With Emerald Eyes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry! This is a year and a half over due. I tend to get ideas during the nighttime and I can’t type with my mom around or she asks me what I’m doing/working on (-_-”) There is now going to be 5 chapters in total
> 
> IMPORTANT: This is where things change! I’ve manipulated the timeline so that they have known each other for a few years before the whole liberation.
> 
> I didn't read it over so there are most likely grammar mistakes along with OOC

_Glacemens XIII, 839_

_He was completely and utterly lost._

_Mother had instructed them all to meet her in her office yet he somehow ended up at the Chocobo Ranch. He wasn’t even sure how he got here in the first place. All the fourteen year old could remember was walking through the main doors of Akademeia with the rest of his siblings, Cater pushing Nine as the teen was acting like a (for the lack of a better term) jackass, who knocked into him and then suddenly he was with chocobos. Ace could vaguely recall seeing a red light before ending up face first on grassland._   
_Pushing himself up, Ace moved closer to the barn-like structure situated a few feet away. The blond peered inside and saw nothing other than the large yellow birds in the stalls. He shrugged his shoulders, while he’s here he might as well watch the animals he loves the most. He wasn’t sure why, but he always felt attached to chocobos and felt compelled to be around them._

_The teen walked up to the closest one, a dam with three little chicks that were dancing around her feet. He watched, fascinated, as the chicks jumped around and on top of one another as the dam bent down to feed them. He knelt down to get a closer look, observing as the food pasted from parent to child. The smallest one, a little dam, made her way over to Ace, curiosity sparkling in her black eyes. The soon-to-be cadet held out his hand towards the bird, smiling as the tiny thing head-butted it. As gently as he could he ran his fingers over the down feathers, marveling in how pillow soft they were._

_“Cute, aren’t they?”_

_A startled squeak filled the air as Ace fell backwards in surprise, landing straight on his behind. In doing so, the young chocobo scampered back to her mother and siblings and left the teen to fend for himself against the intruder. Ace could hear a deep, but soft chuckle sound from behind him. The blond turned around with a glare, slightly angry that someone interrupted his peace. What he saw made his gaze waver._

_A tall male dressed in dominion legionary gear stood behind him, a light smile playing on his lips. He had his hood up so Ace couldn’t make out all his features, but the ones he could took his breath away. Short wisps of dark blue hair lay over a pale forehead. His face was devoid of any baby fat, giving a very mature and grownup look. If Ace had to guess, he would probably say that the other was in his late teens to early twenties at the most. His eyes were the most beautiful shade of green, it was almost like he was looking at emeralds. All and all, the blond came to the conclusion the man in front of him was the definition of attractive._

_Ace pushed himself up off of the dirt, wiping the dust off of the back of his dress pants. His gaze fell back to the chicks that were now laying down nuzzled into their mother’s side, their eyes heavy with exhaustion. “They really are.” He couldn’t help the fondness that entered his voice._

_“My girl’s in the end stall.” The legionary walked up next to him. “My younger brother named her.”_

_“Really?” He absentmindedly replied. All the blond wanted to do was curl up with those chicks. “What name?”_

_“Chichiri.” Ace couldn’t hold the startled laugh that came out of his mouth. The man didn’t seem to take any offence, in fact, he smiled. “I know. No idea where that kid gives his imagination from. It’s almost as if he pulled the name from a hat. Anyway,” he turned to fully face the younger male, “you look a little lost?” Ace’s eyes widened. He completely forgot!_

_“Yes,” he nodded, “Mother wanted us to meet her in her office.”_

_“Okay. Who’s your mother?”_

_“Doctor Arecia Al-Rashia.”_

_“Oh.” The taller looked him up and down. “You’re quite the talk with the higher ups.”_

_“U-um,” Ace shifted on his feet, not use to getting this much attention. By nature, he mostly keeps to himself. He was one of the middle children, along with Cater, and was normally overlooked as the quiet yet sensitive one._

_“Well,” obviously the other picked up on his anxiety, “let’s get you to where you need to be.” The legionary turned on his heels and started heading back to where Ace first ended up on the ranch._

_The blond scrambled slightly to catch up. “Thank you…ah..” A blush rose to his cheeks. He didn’t even know the name of the person he’d been talking to._

_“Izana Kunagiri.” The man – Izana – didn’t look back as he said this._

_“Oh, um.. Thank you Izana.” The blond stuttered out before introducing himself. “I’m Ace.”_

_They both stepped onto a spot on the ground that was a redish color._

_“It’s no problem at all, Ace.” He smiled._

_\---_

  
_“Ace! Where have you been?”_

_“Nowhere.”_

_“What do you mean nowhere!? We looked everywhere for you!”_

_“…I fell after Cater pushed Nine and ended up at the Chocobo Ranch.”_

_“See, this is why you should not roughhouse in the middle of-”_

_“Oh, shut up Trey, nobody asked you!”_

_“Are you okay?”_

_“I am fine Deuce, thank you for as-”_

_“Not you, you monkey!”_

_“I’m alright.”_

_“Who was that man who was with you?”_

_“Yeah! He was cute!”_

_“Really, really cute!”_

_(“You girls shouldn’t be-” “Trey! I swear to the Crystal if you don’t stop talking..”)_

_“He was just someone who helped me to get back.”_

_“Are you sure?”_

_“What else would he be?”_

_“I don’t know, you two were pretty close together.”_

_“Man, we just got here and Ace has already bagged a hottie.”_

_“Guys, leave Ace alone.”_

_“Oh come on, Seven! You know you want to know too. What is Mister Handsome’s name, Ace?”_

_“I don’t see why his name is relevant.”_

_“You see, looking at what the girls want to know, the relevance of the matter-”_

_“Trey!”_

_\---_

_Gelumens XXXI, 839_

_He was lost._

_Again._

_It was Cater and Nine’s fault._

_Again._

_Now he was stuck in a foggy cemetery all by himself dressed in a rabbit costume. Yes, a rabbit costume. One of his younger sisters, Cinque, had wanted them all to dress up after Mother explained to them that it was a tradition for people to dawn a garment that made them something they are not on a day called Halloween._

_Seven was the first one to give in to the escapade, unsurprisingly. She always seemed to have a soft spot for those who look up to her. Soon followed King, who didn’t see any harm in it, and Sice. The silver haired teen had been fully against it at first, but after some convincing from Seven she gave in. Queen came next, looking at it as a way to gain insider knowledge firsthand about the tradition known as Halloween. Cater and Nine only accepted after making a bet about who could scare the most trainees during the costume party that was to take place. Trey, of course, wanted to experience what it was like to be a part of a different culture. Jack had been on board from the very beginning, dragging a resilient Eight with him. Lastly came Deuce and Ace himself. Deuce would do anything for Cinque so it was inevitable that she would agree to dress up for her. As for Ace, his closest family member was, in fact, Deuce and whatever Deuce did the blond would surely do and vice versa. So of course after he heard his youngest sister say that she would put on a costume he said he would too. He didn’t know, however, that Cinque would be the one to pick out their costumes. At least they all went together. Sort of._

_Going down the list, Seven was dressed as a butterfly. She had gotten glittery purple wings that fluttered whenever she moved her arms. With it she wore a flowy lilac dress that reached just above her knees and topped off the look with an antenna headband._

_King was brought back dragon wings the color of flames. Ace had to admit, they did look good on him with a red button down and black dress pants. A small headband with tiny black horns was placed on his head also._

_Sice was given wolf ears and tail, along with random grey fur to stick on herself when she was all dressed up in her grey tank top and black leggings. She ended up throwing the fur away, only to tell Cinque that she lost the package that it was in._

_Queen got cute panda ears and a small tail. Her face was priceless when she first saw them. It was almost as if she expected Cinque to forget all about getting them costumes and just go on with their lives. Her shirt that she got was black with a white stomach._

_Cater dressed as a cunning fox with large triangle shaped ears and long bushy tail. She complained that it wasn’t scary enough, but soon let it go after she was given small fangs to put in and allowed to make it look like there was blood coming out of her mouth._

_Nine was deemed a tiger by the brunette girl. It complimented him completely with black strips on orange pants and shirt. The tail dragged on the ground slightly, so he had to take extra care for no one to step on it._

_…_

_Ace laughed to himself. Nine’s never careful about anything. He’s more of an action first, no questions later type of guy._

_Trey was dubbed a monkey and Cater couldn’t stop laughing after she saw it, probably thinking about when she called him that months earlier. Trey looked slightly offended, but took the brown ears and tail anyway._

_Jack and Eight were dressed as matching lions, although Jack got a mane whereas Eight did not. When asked, Cinque just said that “Jacky is the big lion that has to protect his tiny lioness.” The blond just laughed and scratched his head, not really knowing how to respond. The smallest of the boys just spat that he wasn’t tiny with a blush stemming up into his ears._

_Deuce, the sweet little thing, was given brown deer ears along with a small tawny and white tail. The older teen thought it matched her exquisitely. She put on the ears and tail along with everything else she owned that was brown, including her shoes._

_Ace, of course, was given rabbit ears and a small bushy white tail. He wished he would have been given something a bit manlier like King and Nine, but at least he’s not as embarrassed as Eight. Dressing as a male bunny was pretty ridiculous, but he will deal with it for Cinque and Deuce’s sake._

_And nobody could forget Cinque herself with a single horn coming out of her forehead and a long tail attached to the back of her white skirt. She, naturally, went as a pure white unicorn._

_Now back to how Ace even ended up in the cemetery by himself in the first place._

_It had started as a normal night with all the siblings getting into their assigned costumes to attend the party Mother was going to at the academy. It took place up at the Terrace where people could openly converse and overlook the place that they call home on the balcony. Being more than slightly cramped, the siblings mostly kept to themselves, only talking to one or two other cadets when necessary. Everything was going smoothly, until Nine and Cater got bored. After trying (and not succeeding) to scare the trainees, they thought it would be fun if they all went out into the cemetery that was through a vacated classroom on the main floor of the school._

_Queen was the only one that was given a pass to use the portal, so after much convincing on Cater’s part (mostly just promising that they weren’t going to do anything bad) the twelve of them made their way through the thong of trainees, cadets, legionaries, moogles, and commanding officers that were mingling in the inner part of the Terrace and to the portal. The long haired teen waited for them all to step onto the red light before activating it. The soon-to-be-cadets were surrounded by a bright red light before they were back at the Entrance of the Academy. Ace sighed, he really didn’t want to do this, but as he watched Cater, Nine, Jack, and Cinque book it to the door that lead into the hallway where the classroom was all while chuckling wildly, he realized he had to be there to make sure nothing stupid and dangerous happened._

_The blond walked at a slower pace with Deuce and Eight, right behind Queen and Seven._

_“How do you think this is gonna end?” The only brunette boy in their group asked._

_“Probably with Nine and Cater beating the shit out of one another.” Sice snorted behind them._

_The youngest sibling gasped, “You don’t really think that, do you?”_

_“Of course not.” Seven sent Sice a look. “The worse that will happen is those two getting a little rowdy and tripping over one of the grave stones.”_

_“Don’t worry Deuce.” Queen said as she pushed open the door to the hallway. “I’ll make sure nothing irrational happens.” Deuce just smiled and nodded at her words._

_The eight of them walked into the hallway, Queen holding the door for everyone. Passing through the next set of doors, they enter a classroom that was devoid of life. Multiple cobwebs hung from the ceiling and others clang to the desks. The girls (Deuce, Seven, and Queen) fell behind the others, leaving King and Sice to lead the group to the next door they would have to pass through._

_Ace knew that Deuce hated being in places like this, ones that looked all decrepit and so lifeless. The blond fell back as well, grasping Deuce’s hand when he made it next to her. She squeezed his hand in voiceless thanks._

_King made quick work of the stairs with Sice right behind him as they went over to the door, the other six trailing behind just a bit. The oldest male pulled the door open as soon as he reached it, stepping back to hold it open for his siblings. The small group quickly scrambled into the open area. Gentle wind caressed Ace’s face as he looked up at the sky. He briefly saw that there was a full moon along with brightly twinkling stars. It would have been the picture of tranquility if it wasn’t for the fog. The white cloud was thick, giving only a few inches of visibility._

_“It’s just through the gate.” Ace heard King say from behind. He could feel Deuce clench onto his hand tighter as they all followed Sice through the whitened air. Rocks cracked under his feet as they walked down the path that lead to their destination. He watched as her tail swished back and forth, cutting through the fog only for it to come right back to incase it. After a slight turn right, the sound of a metal gate opening echoed into the open space._

_“What are you waiting for? Come on.”_

_Trey and Eight walked into the sacred grounds first, followed by Ace, Deuce, and Seven, and then finally King, Queen, and Sice. It took a bit of time to locate the other four, as if they were hiding from them. The search only ended after Cater suddenly burst out of the thick white blanket and tackled the bowman to the ground._

_Things settled pretty quickly after that. Queen did scold the redhead for not being careful and almost causing Trey to smash his head on a gravestone. She apologized (somewhat) before leading them to the middle of the grounds where Nine, Cinque, and Jack were already sitting and talking. The nine of them joined the three, making to sit in a circle._

_“Now what?” Eight asked as he shifted in his seat. He never was one to sit still._

_“Well,” Cater leaned back on her hands, “Why don’t we play a game?”_

_Cinque immediately jumped at the chance. “Oooh yeah! What game?”_

_“Maybe…Hide and seek?”_

_“Never have I ever?”_

_“Tag!”_

_“Jack, we can’t see past a few inches in front of our face, we can’t play that. Someone could trip and fall.”_

_“Oh yeah.”_

_“Two truths one lie?”_

_“Eye spy!”_

_“Seriously?”_

_“..Sorry.”_

_“I know!” Cater hit her fist into her palm, “Truth or dare!”_

_“Really?”_

_“Well, why not?”_

_“I don’t see any problem with it,” Queen said pushing up her glasses, “As long as the dares are within reason.”_

_“Pffft of course they will be.”_

_Cinque was practically jumping up and down at this point. “Can I go first? Please, please, please! Can I?” Her bright twinkling eyes looked at Queen._

_Queen cleared her throat, “Sure Cinque.”_

_“Yay!” her smile beaming, “Kingaling, truth or dare?”_

_King looked at her, a barely noticeable frown tugging on his mouth. He went with the safer of the two choices. “Truth.”_

_“Ummm,” the girl tapped her cheek in thought, “If you had to share ice cream with one of us, who would you choose?” She ended with a smile._   
_All the siblings, excluding Cinque, blinked once at her before turning to look at King. He swept over all of them, taking each into consideration. “Ace.”_

_The brunette girl whined, “What? Why?”_

_King sighed, “Deuce and Seven would never take any even if they wanted some because they would feel bad about taking food that’s not theirs. Trey would go into a lecture about its origin the entire time. Cater and Cinque would take it and eat the whole thing.”_

_“Hey!”_

_“Would not!”_

_“Sice, Eight, and Queen don’t like sweet things. Jack would get a sugar high. Nine would pick a fight about who could eat more.”_

_“I would not, yo!” The formally mentioned blond huffed, “I could beat you, hey.”_

_“Ace knows how to share and is good company.” He glanced around the circle, taking in the expressions ranging from offended to neutral. “Sice, truth or dare?”_

_The silver teen snorted, “Dare.”_

_That’s what they did for hours, going back and forth between each other. Most of the questions were tame, many of them being scenario questions like Cinque’s with a few personal ones mixed in. Ace learned quite a few things about his siblings from these. If they were all trapped on an island with no food Cater would eat Trey first because his constant need to explain everything would drive her crazy._

_Queen, surprisingly, has a small crush on Quon Yobatz, a boy they had run into when touring the Crystarium. She’d accidently bumped into him and they almost immediately jumped into a conversation about the history of the land. Trey had tried to add his input to it, but was shut down every time with Cater pulling his ear._

_Eight doesn’t like using weapons because during his training (before they all came together) he fell after preforming a flip and ended up stabbing himself in the side with the practice knife he was using. Since then he vowed to never hold one again._

_If given the choice to live anywhere else but Rubrum, Deuce would want to be in Concorida to see all the different types of wild life they had where it rains all the time._

_The only question Trey got asked was what his favorite color was, to which he went into a 15-minute lecture about why white was the best (“You see, white is the combination of all the colors, making it-” “Shut up, no one cares.” “But-” “Trey, stop.”)_

_Cinque’s favorite type of candy was the ones that Mother had brought back with her after a long trip, Pop Rocks. She likes the way it makes her mouth feel as the small pieces jump around in her mouth._

_Seven’s favorite memory was when Mother had taken them on a trip to Corsi Cave. They went in as a group with Mother telling them about the different inhabitants of the cave. Bombs had been flying all around, Ace even recalled seeing one go close to the waterfall only to turn away quickly with a shriek after some of the water splashed on its face. Lesser Coeurls scampered around, tackling each other and rolling around. Mother made them all stay behind her, she said that they would be safe as long as they were with her so she can take care of them. Venturing further in, they came across a sleeping Coeurl curled up in the middle of the room. Ace could still remember the two large feathers that flowed down from behind its ears, swaying gently in the breeze that was coming from the ceiling._

_Sice would rather be with stuck in a room with Eight and Queen for a week and not King and Nine because while she can handle Eight’s constant need to move around by letting him wear himself out, listening to Nine go on and on about things she doesn’t care about and his need to start fights would cause her to commit homicide._

_If he could have anything for a pet, Jack would pick a Behemoth. When asked why, all he said was that he “wants to ride it into battle.”_

_Lastly, Nine’s favorite day of the week was Thursday since that is the day that they all get to spend the entire time with Mother without her having to leave for any meetings with the consortium._

_There hadn’t been that many dares with there being so much fog. The only two that had chosen to do it was Sice and Eight. King had dared the silver haired teen to give Nine a compliment. After stuttering a few times and grumbling about having to do it, she settled with saying that he had nice hair. Ace himself dared Eight to walk around their large group on his hands and the pint sized powerhouse did so without any problem._

_Cinque stretched and let out a long, loud yawn, “I’m sleeppyyyy.”_

_“It is getting rather late.” Queen said, pushing up her glasses._

_“Alright!” Cater raised her fist into the air, “One more! Ace, truth or dare?”_

_The rabbit thought about it for a minute. “Dare.” He said slowly, seeing no real harm as the other two had gotten pretty easy one. An added bonus was that he wouldn’t have to deal with one of the redhead’s more ‘intimate’ questions, specifically about him and Deuce which he had already suffered through twice._

_“Nine, say a letter.”_

_“Huh..?”_

_“Just say a letter!”_

_“I don’t know, yo..K?”_

_“Okay. I dare Ace to go find a headstone that starts with a ‘K’.”_

_“What? Why?”_

_“I don’t know. Just do it.” Cater stood up and stretched. “I’m gonna head back first.”_

_“Oooh me too!” Cinque got up with her._

_“Wait. You guys are leaving me?” Ace’s panic was clear in his voice. He really didn’t want to be all alone in a graveyard in the middle of the night._

_“Well yeah,” the redhead started walking towards the exit, “It’s getting late and I’m tired.”_

_“Come on, Ace!” Nine exclaimed from his spot in the circle, “You’re not scared, are you?”_

_The blond scoffed, “No.” and he wasn’t. He was more…uncertain and nervous that this wasn’t a good idea. He glanced over at Deuce and saw that she looked weary. “Go ahead. I’ll be right along.” He reassured her._

_She still didn’t look convinced, but nodded nonetheless. “Okay, but if you’re not back in 20 minutes I’m coming back.”_

_The card user smiled gently. “Thank you, Deuce.”_

_The rest of the teens got up, one by one heading towards the gate to reenter the Back Garden connecting to the classroom. Most of his siblings gave him a pitying glace back as they left and Ace could tell that they would all come back looking for him if he’s not back in a certain time. Sighing once they were all out of sight, Ace started walking around the Cemetery, leaning down to see the name on the grave for each one he passed._

_\---_

_And that’s how he ended up by himself in the middle of the night in the Cemetery wondering around looking for that one specific grave stone._

_Ace held back a whine that threatened to leave his throat as he bent down for what seemed to be the hundredth time only to see the surname ‘Nakamura.’ His back was starting to hurt by this time and he was about to give up and head back to the party. If Cater asked if he found one, he’d just come up with some name that starts with a ‘K’. Knowing her, however, the redhead would come out tomorrow morning to make sure he’s not lying. The young blond groaned as he walked further into the Cemetery, not even bothering to look for the entrance he knows he’ll be unable to find._

_He bent down once again only to snap immediately back up upon hearing the cracking of a twig behind him. He turned around slowly, eyes scanning the surrounding area. The blond saw nothing out of the ordinary so he looked back down, but he now was on alert. As he leaned closer to the stone, Ace could make out small specks of color near the base. The teen knelt down, ignoring the fact he was dirtying his white slacks in favor of getting a closer look. Sitting there was a small bouquet of flowers that seem to have been freshly cut and laid there recently._

_Now Ace wasn’t that good when it comes to flowers (that was more of Deuce’s thing), but even with his limited knowledge he recognizes the two different types of plants. The larger white flowers that were in the pile, he noted, were carnations. The card user knew this because when he was helping Deuce with her lightening magic, the brunette girl brought him a bright pink one in gratitude. The smaller, more fragile looking flowers, pansies, are what really catch his eye. The black middle that bleeds into a deep yellow was truly breath taking._

_‘Enough admiring,’ the teen thought to himself, ‘I just want to go home and sleep.’_

_Ace leaned into the grave, his eyes zeroing in on the first letter of the name. ‘K’ it read. The blond almost sobbed in relief at the prospect of finally being reunited with his bed. He reached out a pale hand, waving it around to rid of the fog hovering over it. Just as he was about lean back in, the blond’s head snapped up. He could feel it, the warmth of a body mere inches from his own. A card appear in his hand in the next second, held between his pointer and middle finger, as he leapt up and whipped around. The card stopped mere centimeters from the intruder’s neck as Ace glared at them._

_“Um,” they held up their hands in surrender, a shaky smile appearing on their face, “sorry for sneaking up on you.”_

_The blond faltered when he saw pale skin and glowing emerald eyes boring into his own wide baby blues._

_“I-Izana?”_

_“The one and only!” Nervous laughter erupted from him. “So, Ace, ah, would you mind removing that card?” The card disappeared as soon as he said that. “Thanks.” The manput his arms down by his side, a sigh escaping his lips. “Man, I thought you were going to take my head off.”_

_The younger stuttered, “I’m…sorry.” A faint blush blossomed on his cheeks in shame. “I didn’t know it was you..” He looked down, finding the ground a lot more interesting than those piercing eyes._

_A hand fell onto his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze before moving to his chin, tilting his head up to look back at the legionary. A soft smile adorned the elders face, “It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have come up behind you.” The hand moved up to cup his cheek, his blush deepened as he stared into Izana’s orbs. “Ace.”_

_The blond swallowed the lump in his throat, “Y-yeah?”_

_He watched as that smile turned into a devious smirk, “You make a cute rabbit.”_   
_._   
_._   
_._   
_He had Deuce check his heart when he got back home. He’s sure they’re are not suppose jackhammer out of your chest at any point in life._

_\---_

_“Sooo Ace, you used the dare as an excuse to meet up with Mister Handsome? How scandalous.”_

_“I’m tired. Go away.”_

_“Come on, Aceeee! Just tell us.”_

_“I did not plan to see him. He found me while I was doing your stupid dare.”_

_“Stupid? Who are you and what have you done to Ace? Our dear brother never calls anything stupid.”_

_“Grumpy Ace does, remember? He once threw a shoe at Nine’s head because he was running around screaming about Cater cheating on a game they were playing while he was trying to sleep.”_

_“Oh yeah. He cuddled up to King after too.”_

_“Didn’t you take a picture?”_

_“Of course. Blackmail material, duh. Anyway, Ace! He brought you home and you expect us not to suspect something is going on?”_

_“You should tell him to be careful. Lover boy caught the attention the APS.”_

_“The hell does APS mean?”_

_“The Ace Protection Squad, of course. Members include all of us, your lovely siblings. President is-”_

_“Half of you are younger than me so why..”_

_“Deuce. Vice-President is King.”_

_“Even King is in on it..?”_

_“Of course he is! You should have seen him, Sice, Jack, Eight, and Nine. By the look on their faces when they saw you come home with him it looked like they were gonna deck ‘im.”_

_“You’re lucky Mother wasn’t home. She would have sent them loose on him.”_

_“Hmmmm can you guys get out now?”_

_“Buttt, Acey! You still haven’t told us his name!”_

_“Yeah. It’s only fair we know the name of the person our brother is fu-”_

_“GET OUT!”_

_\---_

_Ventusmens II, 840_

_Ace glanced around as he walked past the fountain in front of the academy with Deuce, Seven, and Eight. Ever since the graveyard incident, Izana seemed to pop up everywhere the blond went. When he went to the Crystarium, looking for book about the history of Akademeia for Queen, he had bumped into the green eyed legionary – literally. The blond’s cheeks flushed, remembering back to when he fell right on top of the man. Another time when he was in the Arena practicing against Eight (they both wanted to improve their skills, Ace against someone who’s quick on their feet and Eight against long-ranged weapons) he ended up taking a punch right in the chest when he saw a wisp of blue hair out of the corner of his eye. It was this situation that made the blond realize that he never wants to get on the brunette’s bad side because that single punch had broken two of his ribs and fractured part of his sternum. Yesterday, Mother sent him, Jack, and Sice to Aqvi to gather some supplies she needed and, of course, Izana was one of the guards that was assigned to patrol the small town._

_Other than those and a few other chance meetings, the two have been meeting regularly at least once a week. Ace wasn’t sure why, but he felt a strange attachment to the older and values his relationship with him almost as much as the ones he has with his siblings. Izana, as he found out, is a very pleasant person to be around. The man actually listens to him when he talks and doesn’t talk down to him like some of the professors that he met already do, instead he treats him like an equal and not someone who is superior to him. Today they agreed to meet near the front gate, unfortunately King (somehow) found out and refused to let him go unless he brought someone with him. The older blond had said he would have went himself, but Mother had asked him to take care of something in the Armory so he couldn’t and Ace couldn’t help the internal sigh of relief. If King had gone with him then he wasn’t sure what would have happened to Izana and he would very much like the green eyed legionary to stay alive and not have to suffer King’s silent torture. In the end, it was Deuce, Seven, and Eight that came along with him because he was surely not bringing either Cater or Cinque after everything they’ve said about his friend. He was still a bit iffy with his tiny powerhouse of a sibling coming along, but he figured Seven would step in if he gets too out of hand._   
_As they approached the gate, Ace spotted a tall body with their hood up leaning against the brick bottom of the arch. Come to think of it, the future cadet doesn’t think he has ever seen him without that hood on his head that cast a shadow over his face. Was he hiding something? The blond wasn’t going to push the subject, no matter how curious he was._

_“Ace!” he snapped back to attention, realizing they were a lot closer to Izana than they were before. Izana had his hand up in a slight wave of greeting as he pushed himself off of the brick and made his way over to the small group. “And Ace’s friends.”_

_“Siblings.” Came Eight’s sharp replay, a glare settling in._

_“My mistake,” the blue haired male put on a smile, one that was clearly a bit forced, “Hello Ace and siblings.” He held out his hand to the tallest of their squad, “I’m Izana Kunagiri.”_

_The silver haired teen took the offered hand, gently shaking it, “Nice to meet you. I am Seven.”_

_“I’m Deuce. Pleased to make your acquaintance.” Deuce took it next, giving the man a smile. “Thank you for being Ace’s friend.”_

_“No need to thank me.” He sent a wink in her direction, “He’s a good kid.” A small body moves in front both Ace and Deuce as if trying to shield them from a threat. Emerald eyes glanced down that him, “And you are?” He held back out his hand. The future cadet grasped it, making sure to squeeze it hard. He smirked when he felt the hand tense and slightly twitch at the harshness._

_“Eight.”_

_Izana kept the smile on his face even as he pulls his hand back, “It’s very nice to meet you all.” The blond wasn’t sure if the other noticed, but he saw his friend discreetly shake his hand as well as flexing his fingers, probably trying to get circulation back after Eight’s crushing grip. “Well, Ace,” emerald eyes looked over to the teen, his smile turning more genuine, “I’ve got a few people for you to meet too.” He lead them back to the fountain and over to a small group of males, Eight hanging back slightly, grumbling angrily to himself. “Guys!” three sets of orbs flickered to him before settling on the younger teen next to him, “this is Ace.”_

_A blond with a bandana wrapped around his head was the first to react, a wide grin spread across his lips, “So you’re the famous bunny we’ve heard about.” Ignoring the hiss of displeasure sounding from the blue haired man and the blush now staining both his (Izana) and Ace’s cheeks, the teen bent down and pushed his face close to the future cadet’s, “To think you’re one day going to be in Class Zero. I couldn’t imagine you hurting a fly, much less a human being. Are you sure you’re not going into Class Seventh?” Blue eyes widened in sudden panic, quickly putting his hands on the taller blond’s shoulders and pushed him away. Not even a second later a fist came flying where the other cadet’s face once was followed by a body. His smaller brunette sibling stood in front of him once more, cracking his knuckles as he stared straight at the person he just tried to hit._

_“Not only do you invade Ace’s space, but you insult him too? Do you have a death wish?”_

_“Eight,” his eyebrows furrowed, placing a pale hand on his shoulder, “you didn’t have to do that.”_

_“He disrespected you.”_

_“That not a valid excuse to try and punch someone.” The taller scolded._

_Eight turned to face him, his whole demeanor going from threatening to one of a kicked puppy. The brunette looked down, kicking at the ground while he wrung his fingers behind his back. “I’m just trying to protect you.”_

_Ace’s eyes softened, “I know and I appreciated it, but you can’t just punch someone when they do something you don’t agree with.” He placed his hand on his head and ruffled his hair, causing the boy to look up at him. The blond smiled at him before signaling him to turn back. His sibling was resilient to do so, but after a pointed look he turned on his heels. He grumbled a halfhearted apology before moving to stand next the Ace and not in front of him. The smaller blond looked back at the other group, opening his mouth to say his own apology, but was cut off by a smacking noise._

_“Are you an idiot?!” The raven of their group exclaimed, hitting the bandana wearing teen upside the head, “You can’t just go into people’s faces like that!” He turned to Ace’s group, an apologetic smile on his lips. “I’m really sorry for him. He has some personal space issues.” Cue another hit and a drawn out whine. “My name is Tokito, the clown is Naghi, and,” his signaled to the boy on his other side that was just sitting there with an amused smirk, “this is Enra.”_

_Ace took a moment to really study the other group. The one who had been talking, Tokito, seemed to be the oldest and also the tallest (even if it is only by a few centimeters). He was wearing legionary gear just like Izana, but instead had his hood down unlike his companion, meaning the future student could actually see what he looked like (unlike Izana). The male had short and fluffy midnight black hair paired with sparkling liquid gold eyes that were hidden behind a pair of thick black glasses. Inky strands hung down, covering his forehead and upper part of his glasses to complement its already messy style. He certainly looked like the friendliest of the group what with his calming aura that made Ace almost instinctively know that this man would always be open and honest without any of the judging or harshness._

_Next was Naghi who was still rubbing the back of his head from the previous treatment, but he still had an endearing looking on his face as he gazed at Tokito. He’s a little less than an inch shorter than the legionary with bright blond hair and ruby colored eyes. After the stunt he pulled, it’s clear that he’s the mischievous one of the group that needs to be reeled in from time to time. He doesn’t seem like an airhead though, quite the opposite actually. Ace may have only been in his presence for a mere five minutes, but it feels as if the student knew all the basics about him. When Naghi had stared at him he could tell he was analyzing him, trying to soak in as much information as possible._

_Last was Enra, a short haired brunette boy with rich chocolate eyes. He seemed to exude confidence with how he’s holding himself, but not overly cocky. He’s the shortest of the trio, being about a centimeter under Naghi. Judging him based strictly on his appearance, he seems like the type that would be one of the more popular cadets that prances around Akademeia with their nose in the air and this is only intensified by the bright azure cape around his shoulders the signaled he’s a member of Class First. His eyes gave him away, however. Fragments of insecurity and doubt about himself shined through along with his seemingly carefree attitude. Ace could relate, having his own self-doubt about ‘leading’ his siblings as Mother had told him once. She had said this is his destiny, to carry the future Class Zero to victory and support them as they go on._

_“It’s no problem at all. We should be doing the apologizing.” The blond chuckled awkwardly, subconsciously picking at his fingers in his nervousness. “Um, I’m Ace, this is my sibling Eight,” he gestured to the brunette, “and they are-” he looked on his other side, only to see Seven and Deuce no longer there. He turned around, panic surging through his veins as he frantically looked for both the girls. A breath of relief was released when he spotted them helping a small pack of students, with what he has no idea, but at least nothing happened to them. He knew they both could take care of themselves, but both are kindhearted so one can never know. Well, at least that explains why Eight got that punch attempt in without being cut off. “Yeah, um, anyway, it’s nice to meet you.”_

_Tokito beamed, “The pleasure is all ours!”_

_\---_

_“Sooo, how was the supervised date with Mister Handsome?”_

_“Are you going to finally tell us his name?”_

_“I-it wasn’t a date, Cater!”_

_“Sureee.”_

_“Plus Eight, Seven, and Deuce were with me.”_

_“Duh, that’s why I said ‘supervised date’.”_

_“Aceeeeee, just tell us his name!”_

_“Why does it even matter?”_

_“We need a name to put to his face!”_

_“I’m curious too, Ace. What is his name?”_

_“K-King? Not you too..”_

_“His name is Izana Kunigiri.”_

_“Eight!”_

_“Don’t worry. I dropped some ‘hints’ that he should leave Ace alone.”_

_“Good.”_

_“Seriously, why are you all like this..?”_

_“Oooh, hints? I loves hints! What kind?”_

_“Ones that show what will happen if he hurts Ace in any way.”_

_“Eight, I told you- King! Don’t encourage his behavior!”_

_“I did nothing.”_

_“You just gave him a high-five!”_

_“…”_

_“…”_

_“…”_

_“So, Ace, you gonna being him home to meet the family?”_

_“Over my dead body.”_

_“Over his dead body.”_

_“You’re all unbelievable.”_

_\---_

_Terramens VII, 840_

_After the incident a few months ago, Ace started sneaking around the meet up with Izana. Deuce, thank the Crystal, started covering for him after meeting the legionary._   
_“It’s good you are making friends outside the family.” She had told him with a sweet smile._

_Now, whenever he had plans with the green eyed man, he’d come up with an excuse about going somewhere with Deuce. Like now._

_“We’re heading to McTighe.” He told the siblings that were gathered in the living area-Trey, Sice, Seven, Queen, Jack, and Nine._

_Nine just grunted in acknowledgment from his spot on the couch where he was attempting a nap. Sice waved a hand in dismissal, never turning away from polishing her weapon. A soft “have fun” came from both Jack and Seven, the former doing pushups and the latter keeping count for him. Trey gave a slight nod, being completely immersed a book Mother had brought him back from a trip. The blond scanned over everyone quickly, making sure none of them looked suspicious. Seeing them all just continue what they were up to, he took ahold of the flute player’s fragile hand and pulled her outside. Together they walked to the large door leading out of Akademeia and into the open world. Deuce squeezed his hand, making them stop before they went out._

_“We will meet back here in two hours.” She let go of his hand and pulled him into a tight hug. “Tell him I said hello.”_

_He gave her a kiss on her forehead, “Thank you, Deuce.”_

_“Go get him, tiger.” She giggled when she saw his blush. For the last couple of weeks, Ace had confided in the teenage girl that he felt some sort of attraction to Izana. Whenever they hung out, his friends sometimes tagging along, the card user would feel his heart strings being pulled when he saw the legionary laugh or just genuinely enjoying himself. Izana, as he has come to find out, is a bit of a flirt and with the comments that are directed at him he could always feel his face burning hotly. Now Ace prides himself in the fact that he’s smart, but he’s always been a little…oblivious when it comes to certain emotions and so he went to the most trustworthy person he could think of (besides Mother). After telling his younger sibling, she told him that he was experiencing what is called a crush. He wasn’t so sure about that at first, after all, he has never felt anything for someone outside of his family and that only being family love. Eventually, she convinced him to ask the green eyed male out on a date, thus why he is meeting up with Izana today._

_A nervous smile played on his lips as he nodded. Deuce reached and clasped the blond’s hands into her own, holding them between both of their bodies. “He’ll say yes. I’m sure of it.” Ace nodded once more before he felt the brunette let his hands go. He turned around, hand pressed against the door, but before he left, he called back._

_“Deuce.”_

_“Yes, Ace?”_

_“She’ll say yes if you ask.”_

_There was a moment pause._

_“..are you sure?”_

_“Of course,” he turned around, giving her a gentle look, “When have I ever steered you wrong?”_

_Another pause, longer this time._

_“Thank you, Ace.”_

_He chuckled softly and spun back on his heels, opening the door as he answered, “No need to thank me. You deserve happiness.”_

_A faint reply answered him as the door closed behind him, “So do you.”_

_\---_

_“Ace!” This was the first word he heard when we walked through the gate of McTighe. “I was wondering when you were going to show up.” A playful grin was on Izana’s face, a teasing glint sparkling in his eyes as he spoke._

_The blond walked over to him, apologizing when he got close enough, “Sorry.” He came up next to the older male, “So, what are we doing today?”_

_“I figured we could just walk around. Maybe visit some of the shops.”_

_He nodded, “Sounds good to me.”_

_The playful grin faded into a toothy smile, “Great.” He told hold of the future cadet’s wrist and tugged him at a small store located in the corner of the town. “We’ll start with this one.”_

_Ace just stumbled after him in an attempt to keep up._

_\---_

_They wound up at a handmade jewelry cart that was located closer to the middle of the small town. An older woman was sitting in front of it, her hands seemed to be moving with skilled practice and, if Ace had to guess, she was making another piece to add to her collection. The blond himself had to admit that her pieces are beautiful. The boy looked over them, admiring each and every one. He spotted a thin, black braided bracelet on the corner of the mat the woman had them all on. The intricate weaving memorized him as he picked it up to inspect it further. He ran his fingers over the leather, feeling every bump and slight imperfection of the piece. Turning it over, he saw that a sliver of silver was connected to it with what looks to be a tribal chocobo etched into it. The eloquent twists and turns of the lines to form the creature made him want to commit the design to memory. Maybe when he got home he’d ask Seven or Deuce to try and replicate it for his description…_

_“Do you like that one?” Ace jumped, completely forgetting that he was here with Izana. He turned, a sheepish look on his face._

_“I just thought it looked nice.” The teen turned to the working woman. “These are all so beautiful. You’re really talented.”_

_The old woman smiled, the wrinkles on her face growing deeper, “Thank you, young man, that’s very kind of you.”_

_“He speaks the truth, ma’am.” The legionary come up next to the younger. “They truly are a masterpiece.”_

_She laughed, “You two know how to make an old woman’s day.” Her hands continued moving even when she was looking at them. “So, what brings you to McTighe?”_

_“You know,” Izana waved his hand in the air, rotating his wrist as he went, “just seeing the sights. Making sure this guy actually gets out of the academy once and a while.” He slang an arm around the blond’s shoulders._

_“Oh, my,” pale grey eyes look at both of them, “I thought I recognized those clothes from somewhere.” She shifted in her seat, “Are you an up and coming legionary too, young man?”_

_Ace rubbed the back of his head with his hand, chuckling lightly, “N-no ma’am. I’m actually going to be a cadet.”_

_“Well, I wish you luck.” The woman sent him a smile._

_The blond nodded and bowed in thanks, Izana doing the same before grabbing his wrist once more. “Come on, Ace. I bet you’re getting hungry.” Lilly white cheeks flushed with color as he made a noise of confirmation and followed after the taller. They got a few feet away from the small shop before hearing a voice call out._

_“Excuse me!” Both turned to see the woman standing up, “Could I steal one more moment of your time, legionary?”_

_The green eyed male glanced at his friend and only started heading over when Ace told him it was fine, that he would wait. He watched as the older talked to the shop owner for a few minutes before growing bored and glancing around the surrounding area. There were some families wondering around, kids running around and playing with one another. Ace tilted his head, trying to think back to when he was a small child. He stood there, contemplating for half a minute, a frown marring his face when he came up with nothing. Why can’t he remember anything past a couple years ago? Maybe he’ll ask Mother about it when he gets back…_

_“Sorry to keep you waiting!” The boy turned his head, watching as Izana ran to him._

_The blond waved it off, “No need to worry. I told you it was fine. So,” his baby blue eyes locked with emerald ones, “where to now?”_

_“Well, um,” The taller broke the contact, seeming to find the ground more interesting, “can I ask you something?” Before he could reply, Izana kept rambling, “You don’t have to, if you don’t want to. It’d be amazing if you did, but no pressure. Man, this is embarrassing. What if-”_

_“Izana!”_

_He jumped, clearly startled, before rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, “Right, sorry. So,” he cleared his throat, “would you want to, maybe, go out with me?”_

_Ace stared for a few beats, like a deer in head lights, as the blue haired man looked on with nervous anticipation. When he realized that the man was, in fact, being serious and not playing some type of cruel joke, he choked out a soft ‘what?’_

_“Would you wanna go out some time?” At this point, a blush started to form._

_“A-are you being serious right now?”_

_“As serious as sending soldiers into a field where they can’t use magic.”_

_The blond felt his own cheeks heating up as he whispered out, “I would love to.”_

_\---_

_“I know you don’t go out with Deuce every time you go out.”_

_“Wha? What do you m-mean?”_

_“You don’t have to worry. I won’t tell the others or Mother.”_

_“Thank you.”_

_“But you have to tell me who it is you’re meeting up with.”_

_“But-”_

_“No arguing. I have a feeling I know who it is, but I’d rather hear it from you.”_

_“It’s, um, the legionary that you, Deuce, and Eight went with me to meet.”_

_“The one with the blue hair or the one with the glasses?”_

_“B-blue hair.”_

_“..You’re not doing anything that Mother wouldn’t approve of, right?”_

_“Of course not…at least, I don’t think so.”_

_“You know she doesn’t like us associating with people outside of us.”_

_“He’s a good person, Seven. I don’t understand what Mother is so worried about.”_

_“He seemed to care about you.”_

_“I wouldn’t go that far..”_

_“Ace, he spends what little time he has outside of his duties to with you. Not only that, but he introduced you to the people who know him the best. That’s almost like introducing to the family when it comes to times like these where family is far away.”_

_“I… guess you’re right.”_

_“Listen. He seems like a nice guy, but just be careful, okay? You can come to anyone of us if you need anything.”_

_“Thank you, Seven.”_

_“It’s no problem at all. Careful of Cater, though, it seems like she’s also starting to suspect something going on.”_

_“..I’m going to go hibernate for the next 10 years. Take care of Deuce for me.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be out in a few months. It'll be part 2 of the dream sequence


End file.
